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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 685 records · Page 38
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Breaking Beams: A Kinetic Treatment of the Filamentation and Forward Scatter of Laser Beams in Plasma

Precise and predictable propagation and deposition of laser energy in high energy density (HED) plasma is threatened by the breakup of the beam into filaments. Such filaments can be deflected and sprayed but also locally intensify the light, increasing the likelihood of other problematic interactions with the plasma. Adequately modeling, anticipating, and avoiding such processes in HED experiments requires a thorough understanding of the thresholds and nonlinear saturation mechanisms, particularly for the weakly collisional, high temperature plasmas achieved at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of Best-Practices and Computationally Inexpensive Radiative Exchange Models for Discrete Element Method Modeling of Aluminosilicate Particles in Concentrating Solar Power Environments

Chemically inert, aluminosilicate based particles have been investigated as both a thermal transport and sensible energy storage medium for concentrating solar power facilities. These particles will experience a wide range of operating temperatures (300-1000 K) and handling conditions (dense to dilute falling particle curtains, dense granular flows, or dense structures), requiring specially-designed and optimized infrastructures. The relative influence of collisional and frictional interactions between particles varies based on temperature-dependent particulate properties and greatly impacts the bulk, granular flow behavior. These underlying physics are captured using discrete element method modeling tools. However, this modeling method is computationally expensive as each particle position and interaction is tracked during the simulation. These modeling methods are further complicated by introducing temperature-dependent particle properties, high-temperature radiative exchange, and directional irradiation sources experienced by granular flows in concentrating solar power environments. In this study, coupled experimental and numerical slump testing of aluminosilicate particles was performed and computationally efficient radiative exchange models were evaluated to establish best-practices for discrete element method models for concentrating solar power environments. The three particle types investigated included Carbobead HSP 30 /60, Carbobead CP 30/60, and Granusil 4030. Existing modeling limitations and computationally-efficient multi-modal heat transfer models were evaluated using Aspherix®, a commercial discrete element method software. High-temperature (< 1073 K) slump testing of aluminosilicate particles was performed to investigate the deviation between experimentally-observed and numerically-predicted angles of repose introduced by computation-time reduction practices including the relaxation of the particle elastic modulus and coarse-graining. Coarse-graining is used to use a single modeled particle that is representative of a collection of smaller particles, decreasing the computational cost at the expense of geometric accuracy. Additionally, relaxation of the elastic modulus is used to reduce computational time at the expense of an increased, modeled particle overlap. Prior studies have determined that aluminosilicate particles retain a high elastic modulus at high temperatures (< 1073 K), requiring small simulation timesteps to ensure resolved contact forces resemble appropriate solid mechanics. A parametric study was performed to evaluate the influence of computation time improvements on the deviation between experimental and modeled angle of repose across high temperatures < 1073 K. Additionally, numerical case studies were performed on candidate particle systems at varying porosities and temperatures. These studies were performed to investigate the influence of computationally-efficient radiative-exchange modeling methods coupled to Aspherix® on modeled accuracy and computation time. The recently-developed distance-based approximation was evaluated in estimating radiative exchange between particles and participating surfaces located in close proximity. The distance based approximation was developed to use tabulated estimates of the radiative distribution factor between individual particles and surfaces in close proximity (< 40 particle radii). These methods were expanded to the aluminosilicate particles of interest, including the influence of particle size distributions. To capture radiative exchange between particles and surfaces not in close proximity (> 40 particle radii) and to capture the absorption of directional irradiation from concentrating solar resources, a volumetrically-averaged radiative distribution factor was calculated between the modeled granular flow and surfaces using Monte Carlo ray-tracing for participating media. Volume-averaged absorption and scattering coefficients were predicted using a volumetric discretization of the modeled domain with monodisperse approximations based on geometric optics and experimentally-determined scattering phase functions for aluminosilicate particles.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Close-Out Project Description for Koepke's Dept of Energy grant DE-SC0021405

Objectives: To establish, for lab & space conditions, EM-IEDDI’s (electromagnetic shear-driven instability's) dispersion relation, unstable range, instability threshold, and mode characteristics, we need LAPD’s Alfven-wave-favorable electromagnetic-style conditions, including higher "beta" (0.001 < beta ≤ 0.3) and low-collisionality. Also, we attempted to intentionally launch or spontaneously destabilize compressional and shear Alfven waves in the strong, localized, perpendicular-velocity-shear region at the interface between coaxial plasmas (one plasma cylinder inside an outer, otherwise hollow, tube, each having a different, controllable, value of plasma electrostatic potential, i.e., “space” potential (not to be confused with the temperature-dependent “floating” potential of an object immersed in the plasma). Nonlinear wave-wave interactions between same-family (EM-IEDD or Alfven) and cross-family (EM-IEDD-with-Alfven) fluctuations were targeted for documentation over a range of spectral overlap. Although laboratory experiments were conducted, the following theoretical work was left unfinished: Analytical non-modal prediction Computational non-modal prediction Check to see if Mikhailenko’s theory formulation leads to his published graphs

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

PPPL Report on Reduced Modeling of Fusion Alpha Transport in ARC Burning Plasmas

We are reporting on the modeling of fusion alpha particle transport in the planned ARC fusion device being designed by the CFS (Commonwealth Fusion Systems: https://cfs.energy). The ARC tokamak is designed to operate in a burning-plasma regime characterized by a substantial population of fusion-born alpha particles. Alfvén eigenmode (AE) stability is assessed both analytically and numerically, incorporating alpha-particle drive, ion Landau, and radiative damping from thermal species and collisional damping from trapped electrons. Regions of unstable and near-threshold AE activity are mapped across ARC’s operational parameter space. Linear stability analysis with NOVA indicates multiple, often marginally unstable AEs, extending to toroidal mode numbers up to n= 30. The present report focuses on the ARC flat-top operating point prior to the sawtooth event. Alpha-particle transport on timescales exceeding the neoclassical slowing-down time is assessed using the NUBEAM module [1][2] of the TRANSP code [3], employing transport coefficients derived from the RBQ quasilinear modeling (cf. Appendix B). These global simulations identify favorable and unfavorable operating regimes with respect to alpha confinement, pressure redistribution, and overall alpha-heating efficiency. We also evaluate additional transport mechanisms—including neoclassical tearing mode (TM)–induced stochasticity, sawtooth-driven redistribution, and toroidal-field ripple using the kick model (cf. Appendix C) which makes use of the guiding-center code ORBIT, see Section 5. The kick model is integrated into TRANSP to enable self-consistent predictions of alpha-driven current formation and sustainment within the ARC scenario. Sensitivity scans are performed over the mode frequency, rational-surface alignment, island width, mode amplitude, and proximity of the limiter to the plasma. Our study provides an initial, physics-based guidance for machine design, operational planning, and equilibrium control, ensuring adequate alpha confinement and robust self-heating performance in ARC. Our simulations mostly targeted worst case scenarios, e.g. for TMs and sawteeth. Overall, we expect benign effects for the ARC scenario investigated in this work on fusion alpha confinement and losses in the presence of AEs, tearing modes and sawteeth. This report addresses three thrusts identified at the outset. The first thrust focuses on analytic estimates of the parametric dependencies of EP relaxation based on local AE stability simulations (Section 3). The second thrust involves global evaluations of AE stability using the NOVA, RBQ, and NUBEAM codes (Section 4). Finally, we investigate alpha-particle transport driven by low-frequency instabilities associated with sawteeth and tearing modes (Section 5).

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Modeling of the cold electron plasma density for radiation belt physics

This review focusses strictly on existing plasma density models, including ionospheric source models, empirical density models, physics-based and machine-learning density models. This review is framed in the context of radiation belt physics and space weather codes. The review is limited to the most commonly used models or to models recently developed and promising. A great variety of conditions is considered such as the magnetic local time variation, geomagnetic conditions, ionospheric source regions, radial and latitudinal dependence, and collisional vs. collisionless conditions. These models can serve to complement satellite observations of the electron plasma density when data are lacking, are for most of them commonly used in radiation belt physics simulations and can improve our understanding of the plasmasphere dynamics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Role of Simple Spatial Gradient in Reinforcing the Accuracy of Temperature Determination of HED Plasma via Spectral Line-Area Ratios

We report on the simulation of temperature gradients in tamped NaFMgO target-foil plasma, heated and backlit by z-pinch dynamic hohlraum radiation. Our approach compares the spectroscopic output of a collisional-radiative model (prismspect) with soft X-ray absorption spectra collected on Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Z Pulsed Power Facility. The pattern of minimum χ2 is seen to agree with an efficient, three-parameter model. Results show that a negligible gradient in electron temperature Te is consistent with experimental data, justifying the assumptions of previous work. The predicted sensitivity of line spectra to the gradient-aligned profile of Te is documented for each spectral feature, so that the line-area ratio between a pair of spectral features may be assessed as a proxy for the existence and quantification of such gradients.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Review of the 1st EUV Light Sources Code Comparison Workshop

We review the results of the 1 st Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Light Sources Code Comparison Workshop. The goal of this workshop was to provide a platform for specialists in EUV light source plasma modeling to benchmark and validate their numerical codes using well-defined case studies. Detailed consideration of a plethora of atomic collisional and radiative processes is required for modeling EUV light source plasmas. Eight institutions spanning four countries contributed data to the workshop. Two topics were addressed, namely (i) the atomic kinetics and radiative properties of tin plasmas under EUV-generating conditions and (ii) laser absorption in a fully ionized, one-dimensional hydrogen plasma. In this paper, we summarize the key findings of the workshop and outline plans for future iterations of the code comparison activity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Uncertainties in Atomic Data for Modeling Astrophysical Charge Exchange Plasmas

Relevant uncertainties of theoretical atomic data are vital to determining the accuracy of plasma diagnostics in a number of areas, including, in particular, the astrophysical study. We present a new calculation of the uncertainties on the present theoretical ion-impact charge exchange atomic data and X-ray spectra, based on a set of comparisons with the existing laboratory data obtained in historical merged-beam, cold-target recoil-ion momentum spectroscopy, and electron beam ion traps experiments. The average systematic uncertainties are found to be 35–88% on the total cross sections, and 57–75% on the characteristic line ratios. The model deviation increases as the collision energy decreases. The errors on total cross sections further induce a significant uncertainty to the calculation of ionization balance for low-temperature collisional plasmas. Substantial improvements of the atomic database and dedicated laboratory measurements are needed to obtain the current models, ready for the X-ray spectra from the next X-ray spectroscopic mission.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-resolution Spectral Discriminants of Ocean Loss for M-dwarf Terrestrial Exoplanets

In the near future, extremely large ground-based telescopes may conduct some of the first searches for life beyond the solar system. High spectral resolution observations of reflected light from nearby exoplanetary atmospheres could be used to search for the biosignature oxygen. However, while Earth’s abundant O{sub 2} is photosynthetic, early ocean loss may also produce high atmospheric O{sub 2} via water vapor photolysis and subsequent hydrogen escape. To explore how to use spectra to discriminate between these two oxygen sources, we generate high-resolution line-by-line synthetic spectra of both a habitable Earth-like and post-ocean-loss Proxima Centauri b. We examine the strength and profile of four bands of O{sub 2} from 0.63 to 1.27 μm, and quantify their relative detectability. We find that 10 bar O{sub 2} post-ocean-loss atmospheres have strong suppression of oxygen bands, and especially the 1.27 μum band. This suppression is due to additional strong, broad O{sub 2}–O{sub 2} collisionally induced absorption (CIA) generated in these more massive O{sub 2} atmospheres, which is not present for the smaller amounts of oxygen generated by photosynthesis. Consequently, any detection of the 1.27 μm band in reflected light indicates lower Earth-like O{sub 2} levels, which suggests a likely photosynthetic origin. However, the 0.69 μm O{sub 2} band is relatively unaffected by O{sub 2}–O{sub 2} CIA, and the presence of an ocean-loss high-O{sub 2} atmosphere could be inferred via detection of a strong 0.69 μm O{sub 2} band, and a weaker or undetected 1.27 μm band. These results provide a strategy for observing and interpreting O{sub 2} in exoplanet atmospheres, that could be considered by future ground-based telescopes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of the Nucleus, Morphology, and Activity of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov by Optical and Near-infrared GROWTH, Apache Point, IRTF, ZTF, and Keck Observations

We present visible and near-infrared (NIR) photometric and spectroscopic observations of interstellar object (ISO) 2I/Borisov taken from 2019 September 10 to 2019 December 20 using the GROWTH, the Apache Point Observatory Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5 m, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility 3.0 m combined with pre- and postdiscovery observations of 2I obtained by the Zwicky Transient Facility from 2019 March 17 to 2019 May 5. Comparison with imaging of distant solar system comets shows an object very similar to mildly active solar system comets with an outgassing rate of ∼10{sup 27} mol s{sup −1}. The photometry, taken in filters spanning the visible and NIR range, shows a gradual brightening trend of ∼0.03 mag day{sup −1} since 2019 September 10 UTC for a reddish object becoming neutral in the NIR. The light curve from recent and prediscovery data reveals a brightness trend suggesting the recent onset of significant H{sub 2}O sublimation with the comet being active with super volatiles such as CO at heliocentric distances >6 au consistent with its extended morphology. Using the advanced capability to significantly reduce the scattered light from the coma enabled by high-resolution NIR images from Keck adaptive optics taken on 2019 October 4, we estimate a diameter for 2I’s nucleus of ≲1.4 km. We use the size estimates of 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov to roughly estimate the slope of the ISO size distribution, resulting in a slope of ∼3.4 ± 1.2, similar to solar system comets and bodies produced from collisional equilibrium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Global X-Ray Properties of the Vela and Puppis A Supernova Remnants

The Vela and Puppis A supernova remnants (SNRs) comprise a large emission region of ∼8° diameter in the soft X-ray sky. The HaloSat CubeSat mission provides the first soft X-ray (0.4–7 keV) observation of the entire Vela SNR and Puppis A SNR region with a single pointing and moderate spectral resolution. HaloSat observations of the Vela SNR are best fit with a two-temperature thermal plasma model consisting of a cooler component with kT{sub 1}=0.19{sub −0.01}{sup +0.01} keV in collisional ionization equilibrium and a hotter component with kT{sub 2}=1.06{sub −0.27}{sup +0.45} keV in nonequilibrium ionization. Observations of the Puppis A SNR are best fit with a single-component plane-parallel shocked plasma model with kT=0.86{sub −0.05}{sup +0.06} keV in nonequilibrium ionization. For the first time, we find the total X-ray luminosities of both components of the Vela SNR spectrum in the 0.5–7 keV energy band to be L{sub X}=4.4{sub −1.4}{sup +1.4}×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the cooler component and L{sub X}=4.1{sub −1.5}{sup +1.8}×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} for the hotter component. We find the total X-ray luminosities of the Vela and Puppis A SNRs to be L{sub X}=8.4×10{sup 34} erg s{sup −1} and L{sub X}=6.7{sub −0.9}{sup +1.1}×10{sup 36} erg s{sup −1}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Clarissa Family Age from the Yarkovsky Effect Chronology

The Clarissa family is a small collisional family composed of primitive C-type asteroids. It is located in a dynamically stable zone of the inner asteroid belt. In this work we determine the formation age of the Clarissa family by modeling planetary perturbations as well as thermal drift of family members due to the Yarkovsky effect. Simulations were carried out using the SWIFT-RMVS4 integrator modified to account for the Yarkovsky and Yarkovsky–O’Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack (YORP) effects. We ran multiple simulations starting with different ejection velocity fields of fragments, varying proportion of initially retrograde spins, and also tested different Yarkovsky/YORP models. Our goal was to match the observed orbital structure of the Clarissa family which is notably asymmetrical in the proper semimajor axis, a {sub p}. The best fits were obtained with the initial ejection velocities ≲20 m s{sup −1} of diameter D ≃ 2 km fragments, ∼4:1 preference for spin-up by YORP, and assuming that ≃80% of small family members initially had retrograde rotation. The age of the Clarissa family was found to be t {sub age} = 56 ± 6 Myr for the assumed asteroid density ρ = 1.5 g cm{sup −3}. Small variation of density to smaller or larger value would lead to slightly younger or older age estimates. This is the first case where the Yarkovsky effect chronology has been successfully applied to an asteroid family younger than 100 Myr.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Evolution of an Asteroid Family under YORP, Yarkovsky, and Collisions

Any population of asteroids, like asteroid families, will disperse in semimajor axis due to the Yarkovsky effect. The amount of drift is modulated by the asteroid spin state evolution, which determines the balance between the diurnal and seasonal Yarkovsky forces. The asteroid’s spin state is, in turn, controlled in part by the Yarkovsky–O’Keefe–Radzievskii–Paddack (YORP) effect. The otherwise smooth evolution of an asteroid can be abruptly altered by collisions, which can cause impulsive changes in the spin state and can move the asteroid onto a different YORP track. In addition, collisions may also alter the YORP parameters by changing the superficial features and overall shape of the asteroid. Thus, the coupling between YORP and Yarkovsky is also strongly affected by the impact history of each body. To investigate this coupling, we developed a statistical code modeling the time evolution of semimajor axis under YORP–Yarkovsky coupling. It includes the contributions of NYORP (normal YORP), TYORP (tangential YORP), and collisions whose effects are deterministically calculated and not added in a statistical way. We find that both collisions and TYORP increase the dispersion of a family in semimajor axis by making the spin axis evolution less smooth and regular. We show that the evolution of a family’s structure with time is complex and collisions randomize the YORP evolution. In our test families, we do not observe the formation of a “YORP-eye” in the semimajor axis versus diameter distribution, even after a long period of time. If present, the “YORP-eye” might be a relic of an initial ejection velocity pattern of the collisional fragments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Total X-Ray Emission from the LMC Observed with HaloSat

We constrain the global parameters of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by modeling the first soft X-ray (0.4–6.8 keV) observations of the entire LMC produced in a single pointing with moderate spectral resolution by the HaloSat CubeSat. These data are best fit with the sum of two thermal plasma components in collisional ionization equilibrium and a power law. We find cool (0.210 ± 0.014 keV) and hot (0.89 ± 0.14 keV) components. The total X-ray luminosity of the LMC is (1.08 ± 0.14) × 10{sup 39} erg s{sup −1}. X-ray binaries make up a large fraction of the emission with a luminosity of (6.0 ± 0.8) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}, followed by cool gas from superbubbles, supernovae, and diffuse emission with a luminosity of (3.0 ± 0.3) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}. The hot gas from star formation contributes the smallest fraction, with a luminosity of (1.9 ± 0.5) × 10{sup 38} erg s{sup −1}. We estimate the total volume of the cool gas to be between (0.2–1.2) × 10{sup 10} pc{sup 3} and the hot gas to be between (1.0–5) × 10{sup 7} pc{sup 3} for filling factors of f = 1 and 0.2. These volumes result in a total thermal energy for the cool gas between (1.4–3) × 10{sup 54} erg for electron densities of 0.017–0.04 cm{sup −3}, and a thermal energy for the hot gas between (1.7–4) × 10{sup 53} erg for electron densities of 0.12–0.3 cm{sup −3}. This yields cooling timescales for the cool and hot gas of (1.5–3) × 10{sup 8} yr and (1.8–6) × 10{sup 7} yr, respectively.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-resolution Laboratory Measurements of K-shell X-Ray Line Polarization and Excitation Cross Sections in Helium-like S XV Ions

We report measurements of electron-impact excitation cross sections for the strong K-shell n = 2 → 1 transitions in S xv, using the LLNL EBIT-I electron beam ion trap, two crystal spectrometers, and the EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer. The cross sections are determined by direct normalization to the well-known cross sections of radiative electron capture, measured simultaneously. Using contemporaneous polarization measurements with the two crystal spectrometers, whose dispersion planes are oriented parallel and perpendicular to the electron beam direction, the polarization of the direct excitation line emission is determined, and in turn the isotropic total cross sections are extracted. We further experimentally investigate various line-formation mechanisms, finding that radiative cascades and collisional inner-shell ionization dominate the degree of linear polarization and total line-emission cross sections of the forbidden line, z.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Flux Ropes, Turbulence, and Collisionless Perpendicular Shock Waves: High Plasma Beta Case

With the onset of solar maximum and the expected increased prevalence of interplanetary shock waves, Parker Solar Probe is likely to observe numerous shocks in the next few years. An outstanding question that has received surprisingly little attention has been how turbulence interacts with collisionless shock waves. Turbulence in the supersonic solar wind is described frequently as a superposition of a majority 2D and a minority slab component. Here we formulate a collisional perpendicular shock-turbulence transmission problem in a way that enables investigation of the interaction and transmission of quasi-perpendicular fluctuations such as magnetic flux ropes/islands and vortices as well as entropy and acoustic modes in the large plasma beta regime. We focus on the transmission of an upstream spectrum of these modes, finding that the downstream spectral amplitude is typically increased significantly (a factor of 10 or more), and that the upstream spectral index of the inertial range, and indeed the general spectral shape, is unchanged for the downstream magnetic variance, kinetic energy, and density variance. A comparison of the theoretically predicted downstream magnetic variance, kinetic energy, and density variance spectra with those observed at 1, 5, and 84 au by Wind, Ulysses, and Voyager 2 shows excellent agreement. The overall theoretically predicted characteristics of the transmission of turbulence across shocks observed in the solar wind appear to be largely consistent with recent observational studies by Pitňa et al. and Borovsky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Landau Modes are Eigenmodes of Stellar Systems in the Limit of Zero Collisions

Abstract We consider the spectrum of eigenmodes in a stellar system dominated by gravitational forces in the limit of zero collisions. We show analytically and numerically using the Lenard–Bernstein collision operator that the Landau modes, which are not true eigenmodes in a strictly collisionless system (except for the Jeans unstable mode), become part of the true eigenmode spectrum in the limit of zero collisions. Under these conditions, the continuous spectrum of true eigenmodes in a collisionless system, also known as the Case–van Kampen modes, is eliminated. Furthermore, because the background distribution function in a weakly collisional system can exhibit significant deviations from a Maxwellian distribution function over long times, we show that the spectrum of Landau modes can change drastically even in the presence of slight deviations from a Maxwellian, primarily through the appearance of weakly damped modes that may be otherwise heavily damped for a Maxwellian distribution. Our results provide important insights for developing statistical theories to describe thermal fluctuations in a stellar system, which are currently a subject of great interest for N -body simulations as well as observations of gravitational systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Laboratory-driven Multiscale Investigation of X-Ray Induced Mass Loss and Photochemical Evolution in Cosmic Carbon and Silicate Dust

We present the results of an integrated laboratory and modeling investigation into the impact of stellar X-rays on cosmic dust. Carbonaceous grains were prepared in a cooled (< 200 K) supersonic expansion from aromatic molecular precursors, and were later irradiated with 970 eV X-rays. Silicate (enstatite) grains were prepared via laser ablation, thermally annealed, and later irradiated with 500 eV X-rays. Infrared spectra of the 3.4 μm band of the carbon sample prepared with benzene revealed 84% ± 5% band area loss for an X-ray dose of 5.2 x 10 23 eV.cm -2 . Infrared spectra of the 8 -12 μm Si-O band of the silicate sample revealed band area loss up to 63% ± 5% for doses of 2.3 x 10 23 eV.cm -2 . A hybrid Monte Carlo particle trajectory approach was used to model the impact of X-rays and ensuing photoelectrons, Auger and collisionally ionized electrons through the bulk. As a result of x-ray ionization and ensuing Coulomb explosions on surface molecules, the calculated mass loss is 60% for the carbonaceous sample and 46% for the silicate sample, within a factor of 2 of the IR band loss, supporting an X-ray induced mass-loss mechanism. We apply the laboratory X-ray destruction rates to estimate the lifetimes of dust grains in protoplanetary disks surrounding 1 M ⊙ and 0.1 M ⊙ G and M stars. In both cases, X-ray destruction timescales are short (a few million years) at the disk surface, but are found to be much longer than typical disk lifetimes (≳10 Myr) over the disk bulk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗